Brazil CNA emphasizes the importance of agrochemicals

Date:04-30-2014

A clarification campaign regarding the safety of agrochemical products, a condition obtained as a result of the strict international control and analysis processes, has been carried out by the federal Government, which shows the importance of these products for the Brazilian agriculture. The idea was recently presented in Brasilia by the President of the Confederation of Agriculture and Livestock of Brazil (CNA), Senator Katia Abreu, to the President of Dow AgroSciences in Brazil, Welles Pascoal.

For the President of the CNA, people need to know the evolution of Brazilian agriculture in recent years regarding the high productivity profits achieved, in part, because of new technologies researched by agrochemical industries. They also need to know, that the increase of agricultural production is safe and does not bring risks to human health. "It is necessary to compare the productivity of treated areas with and without these products and show these numbers" proposed the Senator. She argues that, the data be presented for the general population, university students and opinion formers.

The process for registration of agrochemical products in Brazil and in the United States, countries which have similar agricultural markets and are competitors in the commodities market, was also discussed in the meeting with executives of the multinational company.
The representative of Dow AgroSciences stated that the research for a new product takes, on average, 12 years to complete. Other five years are spent, just with the registration before responsible authorities for the review and release of molecules in Brazil-Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Supply (MAPA), Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Ibama) and the Brazilian Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa). The expenses can reach US $300 million.

In the United States, the registration time does not exceed two years and six months. The work of analysis and release is carried by 300 professionals in the United States, where the requests are also evaluated in three application authorities. Here, 30 technicians do this work. In Brazil, the sending of a process from one department to another can take up to three months. "The delay in obtaining the registration has affected the decision of industries to be settled in Brazil" said Welles Pascoal.